The present invention relates to an engine intake passage structure of a front vehicle body in which outside air introduced through an air intake opening formed at a bumper fascia is guided to an inlet portion of an intake passage of an engine which is disposed above a heat exchanger.
In general, a heat exchanger (radiator) to cool a cooling water of an engine is disposed at a front portion of a vehicle body of an automotive vehicle. Further, an air intake opening to introduce outside air for cooling the heat exchanger therein is formed at a specified portion of a bumper fascia which forms an outer face of the front portion of the vehicle body, the specified portion facing to the heat exchanger.
Herein, there may be a case in which the inlet portion of the intake passage of the engine is disposed above the heat exchanger, and part of the outside air introduced through the air intake opening is guided to the inlet portion of the engine intake passage via a space behind the bumper fascia. In this case, there is a concern that the rainwater contained in the outside air coming in through the air intake opening on a rainy day would reach the inlet portion of the engine intake passage, resulting in causing some damage to the engine.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-343244 discloses an example which may cope with this concern. That is, according to this example, there is provided a rainwater preventing member (an air guide member) which has a plurality of slits between an air intake opening and an inlet of an intake passage of an engine. The rainwater may be prevented from coming in by this preventing member.
Herein, in case a road is flooded, an automotive vehicle traveling on the road may have the following problem even if the inlet of the engine intake passage is disposed above a heat exchanger. That is, when the automotive vehicle travels on the flooded road, as shown in FIG. 15, the water may possibly come in a vehicle body through the air intake opening formed at the bumper fascia. Herein, the heat exchanger disposed behind the air intake opening may become an obstacle (wall) against the water coming in, so the water in front of the heat exchanger may rise up to the height of the inlet of the engine intake passage in a space between the bumper fascia and the heat exchanger. Consequently, the rising water may come into the inlet of the intake passage, resulting in causing the damage to the engine.